Watch movement



H. THIEBAUD WATCH MOVEMENT Ju y 25, 1939.

Filed 001;. 5, 1,936

Jmm HENRI TH/EBAUD,

Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCH MOVEMENT Switzerland Application October 5,

1936, Serial No. 104,034

In Switzerland August 25, 1936 8 Claims.

This invention relates to watch movements comprising a centrally disposed seconds-hand spindle.

For the purpose of facilitating the reading of the seconds on watches which with watches having an eccentrically disposed small seconds-hand is rather difficult, several watch movements comprising a centrally disposed seconds-hand spindle have already been proposed which, however, had

the drawback of requiring numerous additional mechanism parts, for example an additional mounting bridge, or else of unduly increasing the thickness of the watch.

In the illustrated watch movement, constructed according to the principles of this invention, the

above stated disadvantages are eliminated by provision, in a movement, of means for supporting and driving a centrally disposed seconds-hand independently of the center wheel. According to this construction, the barrel wheel which drives the conventional center wheel (from which the hand supporting means is eliminated) also drives a separate center pinion, which may be termed an auxiliary center pinion which is provided with a hollow spindle, in which is rotatably supported a seconds-hand arbor, carrying at one end a seconds-hand and at the other end a secondspinion meshing with the conventional third Wheel which is driven by the conventional center wheel 540 from which the hand supporting and driving mechanism has been eliminated, as above explained. According to this structure, a great advantage is achieved, wherein, without the provision of additional mounting bridges for the structure of the movement and without increase of the thickness of the movement, a structure is provided wherein a seconds-hand of substantial size is disposed concentrically with respect to the minute-hand and the hour-hand of the watch.

The barrel wheel drives both the conventional center wheel and the auxiliary center pinion which is spaced from the axis of the center wheel.

In the accompanying drawing, an illustrative form of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view, in elevation, of the watch movement, as seen from the rear;

Figure 2 illustrates schematically a cross section of the watch movement so developed that all 50 spindles or axes of the respective wheels are situated in the same plane and the gear 2 is shown partially twice; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View, in section, of the means for supporting and driving the hands (55 as illustrated in Figure 2.

In the drawing which is simplified for the sake of clearness, I designates the arbor of the spring barrel having the barrel wheel 2 which meshes with the pinion of the second wheel 3. The gear of the second wheel 3 meshes with the pinion of the third wheel 4, while the gear of the third wheel i meshes with the pinion of the fourth wheel ii. The gear of the fourth wheel 6 meshes with the pinion of the escape-wheel 8 which is operatively connected with balance wheel [0 through the lever movement 9. Spaced laterally of the axis of the second wheel 3 is the secondshand arbor l I which has its lower end supported by the jewel i2 in the bridge [3 and which carries, adjacent its lower or rear end, the seconds-pinion 7.

Rigidly secured to the upper or forward end of the seconds-hand arbor II is the seconds-hand ii. Disposed about the seconds-hand arbor H is the center-pinion spindle 15 having auxiliary center-pinion 5 formed at its lower or rear end and provided on its interior with a pair of concentric bores, the lower or rearmost of which, I6, is of greater diameter than the upper or forwardmost bore ii. The lower or rear end of the bore 25 it is supported upon a suitable annular shoulder la provided on the seconds-pinion I, while the upper or forward end of the bore l6 engages the annular flange or thrust collar i la formed on the seconds-hand arbor II. The spindle I5 is provided with a lower shoulder I5a which engages a suitable bore in the frame of the watch and an upper annular shoulder 15b, upon which the cannon-pinion I8 is rotatably supported. The cannon-pinion I8 is provided with an upwardly or forwardly extending sleeve It, to which is secured the minute-hand 2E3. Rotatably supported by the cannon-pinion l8 and cannon-pinion sleeve I9 is the hour-wheel 25 having a forwardly extending sleeve 22, to which is rigidly secured the hourhand 23. A suitable conventional minute-wheel is provided for drive connection of the cannon-pinion IS and hour-wheel 2|.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a structure providing coaxial support for the secondshand, minute-hand, and hour-hand of a watch movement without increasing the thickness of the movement. The barrel wheel which drives both the pinion of the second wheel 3 and the centerpinion 5 provides direct drive for the minute-hand through the center-pinion spindle l5 which is keyed to the cannon-pinion sleeve I!) having the minute-hand 20 secured thereto. The barrel wheel 2 also, through second wheel 3 and third wheel 4, drives the seconds-hand 14 through the seconds-hand arbor II and attached secondspinion l which meshes with the gear of the third wheel 4. Wheel 24 provides the driving connection between the cannon-pinion IB and the hourwheel 2| which has the hour-hand 23 secured thereto. The watch movement is otherwise conventional. The center-pinion and cannon-pinion it are thus driven from the barrel wheel 2 at the rate of one revolution per hour, while the seconds-pinion I is driven by the barrel wheel 2, through second wheel 3 and third wheel 4, at the rate of one revolution per minute in order that the seconds-hand l4 should indicate time in seconds and the minute-hand 20 indicate time in minutes.

Owing to the particular disposition of the parts of the watch movement according to the principles of this invention, the thickness of the watch movement, and consequently the thickness of the watch, is no greater than that for a watch unprovided with a centrally disposed seconds-hand. Thus, the advantages of a centrally mounted seconds-hand coaxial with the minute-hand and hour-hand of the watch is secured with no increase in thickness of the watch. The necessity for provision of additional or auxiliary mounting bridge means for the support of the driving means for a centrally disposed seconds-hand is also eliminated.

It is, of course, to be understood that the principles of this invention are susceptible of application in various relations, being equally well applicable to chronometers, wrist watches, case watches and the like.

I do not limit myself to the particular size, shape, number or arrangement of parts as shown and described, all of which may be varied without going beyond the scope of my invention as shown, described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a watch movement, a central secondshand arbor, a seconds-pinion on said secondshand arbor, a third wheel of the watch meshing with said seconds-pinion for driving the same, a second wheel meshing with said third wheel, a center-pinion spindle having a minute-hand secured thereto, a center-pinion carried by said center-pinion spindle, and a spring barrel wheel in direct driving engagement with said centerpinion and said second wheel.

2. In a watch movement, a spring barrel wheel, a second wheel meshing with said barrel wheel, a spindle having a minute-hand secured thereto and having thereon a pinion meshing with said barrel wheel, an arbor rotatably supported in said spindle and having a seconds-hand secured thereto, a pinion on said arbor, and drive connection between said second wheel and said last mentioned pinion.

3. In a watch movement, a spring barrel wheel, a second wheel meshing with said barrel wheel, a spindle having a minute-hand secured thereto and having thereon a pinion meshing with said barrel wheel, an arbor rotatably supported in said spindle and having a seconds-hand secured thereto, a seconds-pinion on said arbor, and a third wheel drivingly connecting said second wheel and said seconds-pinion.

4. In a watch movement, a seconds-hand arbor having a seconds-pinion thereon and having a seconds-hand secured thereto, a center-pinion spindle rotatably mounted on said seconds-hand arbor and having a minute-hand connected thereto and a center-pinion thereon, a third wheel in mesh with said seconds-pinion, a second wheel in mesh with said third wheel, and a spring barrel wheel in mesh with said second wheel and said center-pinion.

5. In a watch movement including a spring barrel wheel, a second wheel driven by said spring barrel wheel, and a third wheel driven by said second wheel; a seconds-hand, an hour-hand, a minute-hand, means for drivingly supporting the seconds-hand, the minute-hand, and the hourhand, for rotation about a common axis including a spindle having the minute-hand secured thereto and having thereon a pinion driven by said spring barrel wheel, and an arbor-rotatably supported in said spindle, said arbor having seconds-hand secured thereto, and a pinion on said arbor driven by said third wheel.

6. In a watch movement having a frame including coplanar bridges and a pillar plate, a spring barrel wheel, a second wheel meshing with said barrel wheel, a spindle having a minutehand secured thereto and having thereon a pinion meshing with said barrel wheel, an arbor rotatably supported in said spindle and having a seconds-hand secured thereto, a seconds-pinion on said arbor, a third wheel drivingly connecting said second wheel and said seconds-pinion, the co-planar bridges and pillar plate on said frame cooperating to support said arbor, said barrel Wheel, said second wheel, and said third wheel.

'7. In a watch movement having seconds and minute hands, means for drivingly supporting said hands in coaxial relation, a third wheel, an arbor having thereon a seconds-pinion adapted to be driven by said third wheel of the movement, a spring barrel wheel, a coaxial spindle rotatably supported by said arbor and having thereon a center-pinion directly driven by said spring barrel wheel of the movement, a coaxial sleeve on said spindle adapted to rotate therewith and having a cannon-pinion thereon, an hour-wheel rotatably supported on and driven by said sleeve and an hour hand supported from and driven by said hour wheel.

8. In a watch movement having second, and minute hands, means for drivingly supporting said hands in coaxial relation, a third wheel, an arbor having thereon a seconds-pinion driven by said third wheel of the movement, a spring barrel wheel, a coaxial spindle rotatably supported by said arbor and having thereon a center-pinion directly driven by the spring barrel wheel of the movement, a coaxial sleeve on said spindle adapted to rotate therewith and having a cannon-pinion thereon, and an hour-wheel rotatably supported by said sleeve, said cannon-pinion and said hourwheel being drivingly connected, said arbor having said second-hand fixed thereto, said cannon-pin ion sleeve having said minute-hand fixed thereto, and said hour-wheel having an hour-hand fixed thereto.

HENRI THIEBAUD. 

